Ms. Hanabusa
introduced the following bill; which was referred to the
Committee on Financial
Services, and in addition to the Committee on
House Administration, for
a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for
consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the
committee concerned

A BILL

To award a Congressional gold medal, collectively, to the
Filipino Veterans of World War II, in recognition of their dedicated service
during World War II.

1.

Short title

This Act may be cited as the
Filipino Veterans of World War II
Congressional Gold Medal Act.

2.

Findings

Congress makes the following
findings:

(1)

President Franklin
Delano Roosevelt issued an order commissioning around 250,000 troops from the
Philippines into active service for the United States during World War
II.

(2)

The United States
War Department immediately formed the United States Armed Forces in the Far
East (USAFFE). The unit was made up of the United States-Philippine Military
Forces of the Commonwealth Army, Guerrilla Units, New Philippine Scout.

(3)

The Filipino
Infantry Regiment, was mostly composed of first-generation immigrants living
along the Pacific Coast, who volunteered after the Japanese attack on Pearl
Harbor in 1941, later many second-generation Filipino-American soldiers joined
the Regiment from Hawaii.

(4)

The Philippine
Scout units and the New Philippine Scouts were directly recruited by the United
States Army for the war effort.

(5)

Under extremely
severe occupation policies imposed by the Japanese, it was the anti-Japanese
resistance movement that drew more and more Filipinos to its side and through
1943 many of these anti-Japanese guerrillas recovered or newly established
liaisons with the United States Army Command of the Southwest Pacific Area and
placed themselves under the command of General Douglas MacArthur.

(6)

These Filipino
soldiers responded to President Roosevelt’s call-to-arms and later fought under
the American flag during World War II.

(7)

After the Japanese
invasion in December 1941, Filipino and American troops literally shared the
same fate at Bataan, Corregidor, and the Death March.

(8)

Many made the
ultimate sacrifice as both soldiers in the United States Armed Forces in the
Far East and as guerilla fighters during the Imperial Japanese occupation of
the Philippines.

(9)

These troops had
served under the expectation that they would be treated as United States
military servicemembers.

(10)

The Rescission
Act of 1946 later passed, which stated that Filipino forces would not be deemed
to have been active military.

(11)

Congress
recognizes the courage and bravery of the Filipino and Filipino American
servicemen and servicewomen who have fought alongside and in the United States
Armed Forces.

(12)

The United States
remains forever indebted to the bravery, valor, and dedication to country these
men displayed.

(13)

Their commitment
and sacrifice demonstrates a highly uncommon and commendable sense of
patriotism and honor.

3.

Congressional
Gold Medal

(a)

Award
authorized

The Speaker of the House of Representatives and the
President pro tempore of the Senate shall make appropriate arrangements for the
award, on behalf of the Congress, of a single gold medal of appropriate design
to the Filipino Veterans of World War II, collectively in recognition of their
dedicated service during World War II.

(b)

Design and
striking

For the purposes of the award referred to in subsection
(a), the Secretary of the Treasury (hereafter in this Act referred to as the
Secretary) shall strike the gold medal with suitable emblems,
devices, and inscriptions, to be determined by the Secretary.

(c)

Smithsonian
institution

(1)

In
general

Following the award of the gold medal in honor of the
Filipino Veterans of World War II under subsection (a), the gold medal shall be
given to the Smithsonian Institution, where it will be displayed as appropriate
and made available for research.

(2)

Sense of
Congress

It is the sense of
Congress that the Smithsonian Institution should make the gold medal received
under paragraph (1) available for display elsewhere, particularly at other
appropriate locations associated with the Filipino Veterans of World War
II.

4.

Duplicate
medals

Under such regulations
as the Secretary may prescribe, the Secretary may strike and sell duplicates in
bronze of the gold medal struck under section 3, at a price sufficient to cover
the costs of the medals, including labor, materials, dies, use of machinery,
and overhead expenses.

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